Landlords fire evac responsibilities - office block

[Paul1979]

This is one of those silly questions...a property we manage is a reasonable size (500ish capacity) office block over 6 floors. Full / simultaneous evacuation procedure. The building is multi-tenure.

Our client has just 1x member of staff on reception desk at ground floor between 0800hrs and 1800hrs. The tenants sometimes have staff in before and after these hours when the main reception is unmanned.

Question is, what is the extent of the landlord and that 1x member of staffs responsibility in ensuring the building is fully evacuated?

The lady is concerned she has to make sure a) the whole building is evacuated; b) communicate with people in the refuge; c) communicate with fire wardens of each of the tenants to make sure everyone is out and d) stand at main entrance to make sure nobody tries to enter / re-enter the building! Then, she was told by the FR Assessor she had to communicate with the FRS which I think has sent her over the edge!!

To make it more complicated, they have 2x Fire Assembly Points, depending on which floor level they are from. I am thinking we change this to just one assembly point.

My understanding from other similar buildings we look after was that each tenant has a responsibility for making sure that their staff and visitors evacuate? That would include safe evacuation of disabled / those in refuge areas? But who would they communicate with if the reception desk was unmanned?

I am probably over-thinking this, but wanted to help give the lady on reception some assurances she isn't there to do everything...

[Messy]

I am 100% with you

Each demise has the responsibility to evacuate there own and account for them.

The landlord could act as liaison between each occupier, and report the findings of each evacuation to the fire service. However that isn't a requirement

500 at one Assy Point is a lot of punters to handle - especially during covid. But if each occupier send a representative to the landlords staff member, she could stay at one point accepting info from each assy point

Hope that makes sense

[Paul1979]

That's great - thank you Messy

[witsd]

Yup, she ought to be sweeping any immediate 'neutral' common spaces (toilets in the lobby?) and then leaving the building.

I'd probably push for her to then go to each group and ask them to confirm their spaces are empty / determine any unchecked areas / missing staff and then return to the FRS arrival point (if safe to do so) and pass this info on.

Regarding the refuge, I assume that any person in this area would activate a phone / intercom which would make a sound / beacon near the fire panel. If that's correct, the FRS can just as easily deal with this upon arrival - there's no requirement for her to remain within the building and chat to the trapped person until they arrive!

It certainly isn't feasible for her to man all the fire exits and prevent reentry. Each area's staff should be trained not to reenter, and all persons would presumably be stood outside with their managers anyway.

If it's a building that the public are liable to enter then that's a different thing, and you may well need a body to assume the role of gatekeeper, at least at the main entrance.